OUR TEAM

Our fantastic team of specialists from each of the major disciplines ensures we have the necessary skills and expertise to successfully deliver planning consents across a wide variety of sites and geographical areas.The team’s breadth of experience plays a vital part in unlocking valuable sites, consistently delivering planning consents for land owners.

James Pitt, Deputy Managing Director

Click a button below to see each individuals area of specialism. To contact any member of the team, feel free to call 01252 360300 or email them at strategicland@mjgleeson.com

All

Administration

Deputy Managing Director

Finance Director

Land

Planning

Technical

James Pitt

Land

Peter Rawlinson

Planning

Rachel Scott

Planning and Land

Paul Slingo

Technical

John Smith

Planning

Robert James

Land

Nick Keeley

Planning

Ross Samuel

Land

Valerie Blake

Administration

Rob Phillips

Planning

Dan Kightley

Technical

Keiron Coulter

Finance Director

Sara Cromwell

Administration

Lynsey Porter

Land

More about our team

Click on the team members to learn more about them.

James Pitt

What do you do at Gleeson?
I am responsible for the strategic land team, overseeing all elements that go into the business on a day to day basis, but I enjoy meeting and getting to know our landowners and working with them to successfully deliver their projects the most.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Airline pilot.

Who is your hero? And why?
Paul Gascoigne at Italia ’90, what a player!

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Dive with humpback whales.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
Ball of string.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I was lucky enough to fly on Concorde from New York to London and got to sit in the Captains seat flying at Mach 2 and over 55,000 feet.

Peter Rawlinson

What do you do at Gleeson?
I work in the planning team as a strategic planner assessing new site opportunities, promoting sites through the plan led system and managing planning applications.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Probably something in the medical profession following after my parents.

Who is your hero? And why?
My hero is my father. He is a GP and has always worked very hard to give the best care to his patients that he could.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I’d like to complete the London to Paris Bike Ride.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
I discovered I had a personal alarm in my desk drawer after it was set off one morning when looking a for a pen!

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I used to play the clarinet.

Rachel Scott

What do you do at Gleeson?
As Development Director, I am jointly responsible for planning with the Planning Director. My role also involves signing up new sites and resolving land issues on existing portfolio sites.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Gardener at RHS Wisley.

Who is your hero? And why?
Sheryl Sandberg for her book ‘Lean In’.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Grow a really good crop of tomatoes rather than forgetting to water them.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
My antique collection of plastic bags, worth a small fortune!

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I am a fan of Les Mills classes, body combat in particular.

Paul Slingo

What do you do at Gleeson?
As Technical Director I am responsible for all technical matters across our project portfolio, which includes assisting the wider team in producing deliverable schemes which attract best value for our clients and most attractive proposition for our customers.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Professional Snowboarder.

Who is your hero? And why?
Valentino Rossi (the GOAT), He is an absolute professional in his sport and is largely responsible for what MotoGP is today. He is clearly not motivated by money and in his 40’s is still competing with people half his age.VR46!

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Travel around the world, with my wife using mostly land transportation (largely by motorcycle), and avoiding air travel.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I was once in a band which released a music single in the UK charts and it was played on local and national radio. (don’t google it, you won’t find it).

John Smith

What do you do at Gleeson?
Planning Manager – reviewing potential opportunities and managing a portfolio of sites throughout the planning process, from inception to delivery.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Pilot.

Who is your hero? And why?
I don’t really have one but as an Everton fan Gary Lineker (season 1985-86, top goalscorer and World Cup Golden Boot winner) as he helped inspire my goal hanging scoring abilities at an early age.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Explore Europe in a campervan with my wife.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
A wooden spoon (not received as an award).

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
Despite the name I am 3/4’s Greek.

Robert James

What do you do at Gleeson?
Land identification, assessment and acquisition.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Royal Marine.

Who is your hero? And why?
General Sir Peter de la Cour de la Billière – joined the British Army as a Private, retired as a General, achieved a lot.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
See the seven natural wonders of the world.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
Nuts.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I’ve flown a paramotor with flamingos in Kenya.

Nick Keeley

What do you do at Gleeson?
I’m a Planning Manager and the two key roles in my job are firstly; to assist my colleagues in Land on appraising new site opportunities and secondly, on contracted sites, managing those projects through the planning system, to ultimately deliver planning consents for our clients.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Professional Golfer on the European Tour. It would be an amazing way to earn a living!

Who is your hero? And why?
30 years ago I would have said Glenn Hoddle! Present Day – my son. He keeps me smiling!

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Lots of travelling when I retire, starting with a Road Trip across the United States and also an England Ashes Tour Down Under!

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I’ve played Cricket at the Oval. When I was younger I got the chance to play there and it was an amazing experience.

Ross Samuel

What do you do at Gleeson?
As Land Director, I am responsible for securing new land to feed the business, liaising closely with our planning and technical teams to ensure we get the best possible planning permissions, as well as selling the sites post-planning consent to deliver profit for the company. Most of all, I enjoy doing deals with land owners and agents that work for everyone.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
NBA Basketball player.

Who is your hero? And why?
My Dad. Just because…

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Retire before the age of 50.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I worked as a security supervisor at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester overseeing the VIP entrance to the Athletes Village. I performed security checks on the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, the Prince of Dubai and many other celebrities and world famous athletes.

Valerie Blake

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
A lady of leisure.

Who is your hero? And why?
Can’t really say I have a hero.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I’d like to see Crystal Palace win something!

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
Chocolate stash.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I’m half German and half Welsh.

Rob Phillips

What do you do at Gleeson?
As Planning Director, I generally oversee the planning function of the business, which involves advising on the prospects of new opportunities, agreeing and reviewing planning strategies with our landowners and in house planning team for new and existing sites and project managing a number of applications through to consent.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
I think I’d quite like to be a restaurant critic. Getting paid to eat in good restaurants sounds like a great job to me.

Who is your hero? And why?
Sir Patrick Abercrombie of course, a hugely influential figure in post war Town Planning.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Probably attend an Ashes Boxing Day Test match in Australia.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
A packet of small blue plastic forks.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
When I worked for BAA at Heathrow Airport, I was part of the team that launched the Heathrow Car Share Scheme and ended up doing a TV interview for BBC SE News whilst driving to work.

Dan Kightley

What do you do at Gleeson?
I’m the Technical Assistant which entails creating CAD plans, compiling & interpreting information from various consultants to inform both the Planning and Land team in addition to providing professional opinion on best methods of overcoming any obstacles to development that a site may present.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Police Officer.

Who is your hero? And why?
It may be cliché but – my Dad. He has been a great role model to me and is the personification of caring & hard-working.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I would love to build my own home one day.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
A Keyboard Brush.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I have performed at a charity event at Wentworth Golf Club on the bill with Bobby Davro.

Keiron Coulter

Bio to come…

Sara Cromwell

What do you do at Gleeson?
Planning Administrator.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
In a parallel universe where you can choose anything (regardless of your current talents) I think I would like to be an entertainer of some sort.

Who is your hero? And why?
My Dad. Always got my back no matter what.

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Contentment.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
Tabasco Sauce.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
My family own a gunsmiths in Birmingham.

Lynsey Porter

What do you do at Gleeson?
Land identification, assessment and acquisition.

If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?
Evolutionary biologist!

Who is your hero? And why?
Alex Zanardi – a F1 and cart driver who lost his legs in a horrendous crash, but instead of letting that be the end, then become a Paralympian and inspiration for others that have suffered similar injuries. I met him on a plane and turned into a total wreck/fangirl!

What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Just experience as much of the world as possible – and in the short term, tick off all my 42 things to do before I’m 42.

What’s the most unusual thing in your desk drawer?
A small walrus called Lionel.

An interesting fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I used to have pet snails. My mother made me keep them in my bedroom.